Method and device for selecting a word to be defined in mobile communication terminal having an electronic dictionary

ABSTRACT

A method and device for selecting a word to be defined in a mobile communication terminal having an electronic dictionary function. The method includes selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a first input, displaying the selected word in a search window, searching for the displayed word in response to a request to search for the displayed word, displaying information resulting from the search, and terminating display of the information and displaying the text document.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of Korean PatentApplication No. 2006-0040692, filed on May 4, 2006, which is herebyincorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminalincluding an electronic dictionary function, and more particularly, to amethod and device in which a user can search for a definition of a wordusing an electronic dictionary while reading a text document in a mobilecommunication terminal.

2. Discussion of the Background

Recently manufactured mobile communication terminals may have variousfunctions of other portable digital devices, such as a digital camera,MP3 player, and electronic dictionary, as well as their originalfunction of being a mobile telephone.

However, even though more users may be using a mobile communicationterminal having an electronic dictionary function, such terminals mayhave the following problems.

In order for the user to search for the meaning of a word using theterminal's electronic dictionary, the user may need to terminate acurrent mode (for example, a text document mode).

Then, the user may directly input a word to be searched for in a searchwindow in an electronic dictionary menu, terminate the electronicdictionary menu after completing the search, and re-execute the previousmode.

Accordingly, because the user terminates a currently used mode in orderto search for the word, executes an electronic dictionary menu, anddirectly inputs a word to search for, the processes are inconvenient.Further, the user may need to memorize the word to search for in orderto input it into the search window.

For example, in order to search for the meaning of the word ‘Samsung’included in a received character message using the terminal's electronicdictionary, the user should terminate the currently used charactermessage mode and enter an electronic dictionary mode.

Further, because the user may need to directly input the word to besearched for in the search window, the user may need to memorize theword ‘Samsung’ before entering the electronic dictionary mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and device for selecting a wordto be defined using an electronic dictionary function.

The present invention further provides a method and device for defininga word in a text document in real time using an electronic dictionary ina mobile communication terminal having an electronic dictionaryfunction.

The present invention further provides a method and device for selectingand defining a word without terminating a currently active mode, inorder to define a word in a text document provided on a screen of amobile communication terminal.

The present invention further provides a method and device for providinga function of directly searching an electronic dictionary in a currentmode, in order to define a word selected by a user in a text documentprovided on a screen of a mobile communication terminal, enabling directinput of the word to be defined in a search window such that it is notnecessary for a user to memorize the word.

Additional features of the invention will be set forth in thedescription which follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

The present invention discloses a method for selecting a word to bedefined using an electronic dictionary function in a mobilecommunication terminal. The method includes selecting a word in adisplayed text document, displaying the selected word in a searchwindow, searching for, if a request for searching for the displayed wordis input, the displayed word, displaying information resulting from thesearch, and terminating display of the information and displaying thetext document.

The present invention also discloses a method for selecting a word to bedefined using an electronic dictionary function in a mobilecommunication terminal. The method includes selecting a word in adisplayed text document, displaying the selected word in a searchwindow, searching for, if a request for searching for the displayed wordis input, the displayed word, and displaying information resulting fromthe search.

The present invention also discloses a mobile communication terminalcomprising an electronic dictionary function. The mobile terminalincludes a display unit to display a text document, a search windowprocessor to display a word selected from the displayed text document ina search window in response to a first input, an electronic dictionarydata storage unit to store a lexical meaning of the word, an electronicdictionary data processor to search for the word displayed in the searchwindow in the electronic dictionary data storage unit, and a controllerto output the lexical meaning of the word found in the electronicdictionary data storage unit to the display unit.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and areintended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobilecommunication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are flowcharts illustrating a process of selectingand defining a word in a mobile communication terminal having anelectronic dictionary according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating example display screens for selectingand defining a word in a mobile communication terminal having anelectronic dictionary according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

The invention is described more fully hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown.This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms andshould not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein.Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure isthorough, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to thoseskilled in the art. In the drawings, the size and relative sizes oflayers and regions may be exaggerated for clarity. Like referencenumerals in the drawings denote like elements.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a mobilecommunication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the mobile communication terminal includes acommunication unit 110, input unit 120, display unit 130, search windowprocessor 140, storage unit 150, electronic dictionary data processor160, and controller 170.

The communication unit 110 enables the mobile communication terminal toperform wireless communication through a base station or a signalrepeater using a mobile communication network. For example, thecommunication unit 110 may communicate with the mobile communicationnetwork to receive a text document (for example, a character message,news, E-mail, and e-book) from another mobile communication terminal ora data server.

The input unit 120 may include various function keys, numeric keys,special keys, character keys, key pad, touch screen, and/or touch pad,and outputs a key input signal, which may be input by the user, to thecontroller 170. For example, the input unit 120 receives a selectionsignal for movement and selection of a selection box, deletion of acharacter, and search of a word in a text document from a user andoutputs the selection signal to the controller 170.

The display unit 130 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD). Thedisplay unit 130 displays various display data generated in the mobilecommunication terminal on a display screen. If the display unit 130 usesa touch screen, the display unit 130 may also work as an input unit.

The display unit 130 displays a key input screen for inputting anadditional function set by the user or data and a screen for searchingfor a word using an electronic dictionary function, and displaysdictionary information of a word found using an electronic dictionaryfunction on a screen.

The search window processor 140 generates a selection box for selectinga word included in the text document displayed on the display unit 130and processes movement and display of the selection box. The searchwindow processor 140 designates a word of a text document as a blockusing the selection box within the text document.

Here, designating a word as a block using the selection box may beperformed by dividing words included in the text document into a wordthat can be searched for using an electronic dictionary and a word thatcannot be searched for using an electronic dictionary according to userrequest and designating the word that can be searched for as a block.

The search window processor 140 processes movement of the selection boxaccording to a key input value (for example, the input of a vertical orhorizontal direction key by the user) and activates a search window,including a word designated as a block within it, according to userrequest. For example, when a word is designated as a block by theselection box in the text document, if a direction key is input or atouch signal for moving the selection box is input, the search windowprocessor 140 moves the selection box according to the input.

Further, if a key (for example, a cancellation key or a direction key)is input by the user on the activated search window, the search windowprocessor 140 may delete characters existing in the activated searchwindow, move a cursor according to the input key, or add new charactersto the window.

Furthermore, when the selection box designates a word as a block, if aconfirmation key is input, the search window processor 140 activates aword search window in which the word can be edited. The search windowmay be activated and displayed in a pop-up window form.

Further, the search window processor 140 may edit a word (for example,delete or add a character) in the search window in response to key inputaccording to a direction key, a character key, a cancellation key, orcombinations thereof on the activated search window. The search windowprocessor 140 may also delete an entire word and replace it withanother, as described below.

The storage unit 150 stores programs required for general operations ofthe mobile communication terminal. Further, the storage unit 150 storesuser data and a text document and includes an electronic dictionary datastorage unit 151 for storing various words and lexical meanings of thewords in a database.

When the search window is activated within the text document and aconfirmation key is input, the electronic dictionary data processor 160searches for information about the word in the search window using theelectronic dictionary data storage unit 151, and displays the foundinformation (i.e. a definition) on a screen.

The controller 170 controls general operations of the mobilecommunication terminal. Further, when a text document is requested bythe user, the controller 170 controls the selection box to be positionedat a preset position and controls an activation operation of a searchwindow for editing and searching for a word at which the selection boxis positioned according to a selection request of the user.

Further, the controller 170 controls the search for a word in theactivated search window and the display of information about the foundword through the display unit 130.

FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B are flowcharts illustrating a process of selectingand defining a word using an electronic dictionary in a mobilecommunication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

Particularly, FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B show a process of searching forinformation about a word in a text document of the mobile communicationterminal using an electronic dictionary function. The text document mayinclude any text document such as a character message, news, E-mail, ane-book, and a memo.

Referring to FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the mobile communication terminaldetermines whether a request to display a text document stored thereinis input by the user (S201). If a request to display a text document isinput by the user, the mobile communication terminal displays therequested text document in the display unit 130 (S203).

The mobile communication terminal generates a selection box forselecting a word to be defined and displays the selection box at apreset position of the text document (S205). The selection box may beautomatically displayed when the text document is displayed, or theselection box may be displayed in a text document in response to arequest from a user. FIG. 2A describes the case where the selection boxis automatically displayed when the text document is displayed.

The selection box designates a word as a block in order to select theword to define and may be controlled by a touch signal or key input (forexample, a direction key, confirmation key, and cancellation key) of theuser.

Further, the initial position of the selection box may be the first wordof the first row of the text document and among words included in thetext document, which are divided into and displayed as a word that canbe searched for using an electronic dictionary and a word that cannot besearched for using an electronic dictionary. When the selection box isinserted and displayed in a text document in response to a key input bythe user, the selection box may be positioned at the first word of thefirst row on the current display screen.

The mobile communication terminal determines whether a key is input in atext document mode (S207). If a key is input in the text document mode,the mobile communication terminal identifies a kind of the input key(S209). If a key is not input in the text document mode, the process isrepeated.

The mobile communication terminal determines whether an input key is adirection key (S211). If so, the mobile communication terminal moves thedisplayed selection box in a direction of the input direction key(S213).

If the input key is not a direction key at step S211, the processcontinues at step S215.

The mobile communication terminal determines whether the input key is aconfirmation key (S215). If so, the mobile communication terminalactivates and displays a search window including the word designated asa block by the selection box (S217).

Here, the word designated as a block by the selection box may bedisplayed in the search window and a cursor may be displayed at a presetposition in the search window.

The cursor is positioned so that a user may easily edit the word. Thecursor may be omitted.

The cursor may be positioned at the far right character of the searchwindow, and the search window may be positioned at a central portion ofthe screen (see S303 of FIG. 3).

Further, the mobile communication terminal performs an operationaccording to key input information input by the user on the searchwindow. For example, if a character key is input by the user, thedisplayed word may be automatically deleted in an activated searchwindow, and a character corresponding to the input of the character keyis generated and displayed.

Further, if a cancellation key is input, a character, which correspondsto the cursor position, of the word displayed in the search window isdeleted, and if a direction key is input, the displayed cursor moves.

When the search window is activated, the mobile communication terminaldetermines whether a preset key is input by the user, and performs anoperation corresponding to the input key.

The mobile communication terminal determines whether the direction keyis input on the search window (S219). If the direction key is input onthe search window, the mobile communication terminal moves the displayedcursor according to the input of the direction key (S221).

The mobile communication terminal determines whether a cancellation keyis input on the search window (S223). If so, the mobile communicationterminal enables the cursor to delete a character in the search windowwhile moving from a current position towards a left side of the windowaccording to the number of times of the input of the cancellation key(S225).

That is, the mobile communication terminal may display only a word to besearched for in the search window by the input of the cancellation key.

In a state where a word to be searched for is displayed in the searchwindow, the mobile communication terminal determines whether aconfirmation key is input (S227). If a confirmation key is input, themobile communication terminal searches for information about the word inthe current search window using an electronic dictionary function in theelectronic dictionary data storage unit 151 and displays the informationon the display unit 130 (S229). In other words, the mobile communicationterminal may provide a definition for the word in the current searchwindow.

Thereafter, the mobile communication terminal determines whether acancellation key is input by the user (S231). If a cancellation key isinput, the mobile communication terminal terminates the currentelectronic dictionary search mode and returns to the text document mode.

After returning to the text document mode, the mobile communicationterminal may position the selection box at the most recently selectedword.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating example display screens for selecting aword to be defined using an electronic dictionary in a mobilecommunication terminal according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

Specifically, FIG. 3 shows display screens of a process of selecting aword (for example, ‘Samsung’) to be defined from a text document (forexample, a received character message).

Referring to FIG. 3, the mobile communication terminal displays a textdocument by user request. When the text document is displayed, themobile communication terminal provides a selection box for selecting aword within the text document.

Here, the selection box may be automatically positioned at the firstword (for example, ‘Anycall’) of the first row in the text document(S301).

However, the present invention includes an exemplary embodiment ofdividing words in the text document and displaying the words as a wordthat can be searched for using an electronic dictionary and a word thatcannot be searched for using an electronic dictionary in the textdocument, and activating, when a touch signal is input by the user, ablock corresponding to the touch signal and displaying a selection boxas a block.

Further, the selection box designates a preset word as a block, and asize of the selection box changes according to the length of the word.Furthermore, the selection box may move horizontally and vertically andmay be displayed by key input of the user. That is, the user canhorizontally and vertically move the selection box to a position of aword to be selected by the user using a preset direction key of themobile communication terminal.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the user inputs a down direction key once, theselection box moves to a position of the next word ‘SamsungElectronic’by moving downward one space, and thus the word ‘SamsungElectronic’ isdesignated as a block (S302).

As in step S302, where the selection box is positioned at‘SamsungElectronic’, which is a word including a word (for example,Samsung) the user wishes to have defined, the user inputs a confirmationkey in order to search for a meaning of a word ‘Samsung’.

The mobile communication terminal activates and displays a preset searchwindow according to the input of the confirmation key.

In this case, the search window may display ‘SamsungElectronic’, whichis the word designated as a block by the selection box, in a form of apop-up window on the text document (S303).

Further, the search window may be provided as an input window forinputting character information. The word ‘SamsungElectronic’ can beedited on the input window.

Further, if character information other than the selected word‘SamsungElectronic ’ is input by key input of the user on the searchwindow, the word ‘SamsungElectronic’ is automatically deleted, and thecharacter information (for example, ‘Anycall’) corresponding to the keyinput can be input and searched.

As noted above, the search window may include a cursor in order toeasily edit the word or identify the input character.

That is, if a character key is input by the user on the search window,the character is displayed, if a cancellation key is input, a charactercorresponding to the cursor is deleted, and if a direction key is input,the cursor moves according to the input key.

In this case, the character writing may be performed by deleting aprevious character as described above, and by inputting a charactercorresponding to the character key at a position of the cursor.

Further, as in step S303, the search window may be positioned at acentral portion of the display screen of the mobile communicationterminal, and the cursor may be positioned at the far right side of thesearch window.

For example, at step S303, the word ‘SamsungElectronic’ is displayed onthe search window, and the cursor is positioned at the far rightcharacter ‘c’ of the word ‘SamsungElectronic’.

In this case, if the user presses the cancellation key ten times, themobile communication terminal enables the cursor to be moved and the tencharacters ‘Electronic’ on the right side of the search window aresequentially deleted by the input of the cancellation key (S304).

Next, in a state where preset characters are deleted by the input of thecancellation key, i.e. in a state where only ‘Samsung’, which is theword the user would like to have defined, is displayed in the searchwindow, if the ‘confirmation key’ for performing the search is input,the mobile communication terminal performs an electronic dictionaryfunction, and searches for information about the word ‘Samsung’.

Thereafter, the mobile communication terminal displays dictionaryinformation of ‘Samsung’ found using the electronic dictionary functionon the display unit 130 (S305).

In this case, the dictionary information, i.e. a lexical meaning, may bedisplayed in a new information window on the text document window, andthe text document window stays active.

Next, after acquiring information about ‘Samsung’ through theinformation window, if the user requests that the text document dedisplayed by inputting the cancellation key, the mobile communicationterminal removes the information window displayed on the current screen,and returns to the text document mode.

In this case, the selection box may be positioned at the most recentlyselected word of the text document (for example, ‘SamsungElectronic’)(S306).

Although user key input is described above, the above operations mayalternatively be performed with various input methods.

For example, if the display unit 130 of the mobile communicationterminal includes a touch screen, a user may touch or drag the screen tomove the selection box.

Further, with a touch applied to the selection box, for example, adouble touch or a touch that is performed for longer than a preset time,a word within the selection box may be provided in an activated searchwindow.

As described above, according to exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention, in a mobile communication terminal having an electronicdictionary function, a word can be searched for using an electronicdictionary without terminating a currently active text document modewhile reading a text document (for example, a character message, news,E-mail, e-book, and memo), whereby the user can conveniently perform asearch function of a text document and an electronic dictionaryfunction.

Further, it is not necessary for a user to memorize a word to search forby interlocking a search function of the text document and theelectronic dictionary function, and thus a word can be easily searchedfor in a currently active mode.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variation can be made in the present invention withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. Thus, it isintended that the present invention cover the modifications andvariations of this invention provided they come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A method for selecting a word to be defined using an electronicdictionary function in a mobile communication terminal, comprising:selecting a word in a displayed text document in response to a firstinput; displaying the selected word in a search window; searching forthe displayed word in response to a request to search for the displayedword; displaying information resulting from the search; and terminatingdisplay of the information and displaying the text document.
 2. Themethod of claim 1, wherein selecting a word in a displayed text documentin response to a user input comprises designating a word including aword to search for as a block in the displayed text document.
 3. Themethod of claim 2, wherein designating a word including a word to searchfor as a block in the displayed text document comprises controllingmovement of a preset selection box within the text document.
 4. Themethod of claim 1, wherein displaying the selected word in a searchwindow comprises generating and activating the search window.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, further comprising extracting a word to search forafter activating the search window.
 6. The method of claim 5, whereinextracting a word to search for comprises deleting a character in thedisplayed word in response to a second input.
 7. The method of claim 5,wherein extracting a word to search for comprises moving a cursor in thesearch window in response to a second input and deleting a character inthe displayed word at a position corresponding to the cursor position inresponse to a third input.
 8. The method of claim 4, wherein displayingthe selected word in a search window comprises displaying, after thesearch window is activated, the word according to key input of a user,and wherein searching for the displayed word comprises searching for ameaning of the input word in an electronic dictionary data storage unitaccording to user request.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein terminatingdisplay of the information and displaying the text document comprisesreturning to a text document mode after the mobile communicationterminal uses an electronic dictionary function.
 10. The method of claim2, wherein designating a word including a word to search for as a blockin the displayed text document comprises dividing words included in thetext document into a word that can be searched for using an electronicdictionary and a word that cannot be searched for using the electronicdictionary.
 11. The method of claim 5, wherein extracting a word tosearch for comprises adding a character to the displayed word inresponse to a second input.
 12. The method of claim 11, whereinextracting a word to search for comprises moving a cursor in the searchwindow in response to a second input and adding a character to thedisplayed word at a position corresponding to the cursor position inresponse to a third input.
 13. A method for selecting a word to bedefined using an electronic dictionary function in a mobilecommunication terminal, comprising: selecting a word in a displayed textdocument in response to a first input; displaying the selected word in asearch window; searching for the displayed word in response to a requestto search for the displayed word; and displaying information resultingfrom the search.
 14. A mobile communication terminal with an electronicdictionary function, comprising: a display unit to display a textdocument; a search window processor to display a word selected from thedisplayed text document in a search window in response to a first input;an electronic dictionary data storage unit to store a lexical meaning ofthe word; an electronic dictionary data processor to search for the worddisplayed in the search window in the electronic dictionary data storageunit; and a controller to output the lexical meaning of the word foundin the electronic dictionary data storage unit to the display unit. 15.The mobile communication terminal of claim 14, wherein the search windowprocessor designates the word selected from the displayed text documentas a block using a selection box, and moves the selection box accordingto a second input.
 16. The mobile communication terminal of claim 14,wherein the search window processor designates the word selected fromthe displayed text document as a block using a selection box and deletesa character of the word displayed in the search window, therebyextracting a word to search for.
 17. The mobile communication terminalof claim 14, wherein the search window processor designates the wordselected from the displayed text document as a block using a selectionbox and moves the selection box or deletes a character of the worddisplayed in the search window according to a second input, therebyextracting a word to search for.
 18. The mobile communication terminalof claim 14, wherein the electronic dictionary data storage unit storesthe lexical meaning of the word in a database.
 19. The mobilecommunication terminal of claim 14, further comprising an input unitcomprising at least one of a key pad and a touch screen.
 20. The mobilecommunication terminal of claim 14, wherein the search window processorgenerates a word to search for in the search window.